Five Sydney Businesses Prosecuted For Underpaying Workers Over $62,000

Five Sydney businesses have been prosecuted for underpaying
workers and forced to back-pay over $62,000 in unpaid wages and
entitlements following audits by Fair Work Inspectors.

Casual Worker Underpaid At Restaurant

In one matter, a casual worker employed at a restaurant in
Camperdown was back-paid $12,500 after Fair Work inspectors found
that they had been underpaid weekend penalty rates for a period of
almost three years.

The worker was not paid the correct weekend rate as required
under the Restaurant Industry Award 2010, being paid only $19.56
per hour for Sunday work when entitled to rates of up to $34.23 per
hour.

After the worker contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman, the employer
rectified the underpayment.

Registered Nurse Underpaid At Medical Centre

In another matter, the Fair Work Ombudsman received a request
for assistance from a registered nurse who was being underpaid at a
medical centre in Putney.

Fair Work inspectors found that the nurse, employed on a casual
basis, had been paid under the wrong classification, and was also
paid below the hourly rate of pay stipulated under the Nurses Award
2010.

The underpayments occurred over a period of more than two years,
equating to a total underpayment of $15,605.

Fair Work inspectors found that the employer was unaware of the
worker's correct classification and that they were not familiar
with the Award.

The employer cooperated with the Fair Work Ombudsman and
back-paid the worker in full.

Accountants Underpaid At Solar Power Panel Installation
Business

In a third matter, a full-time financial accountant employed by
a solar power panel installation business in Forest Lodge was
back-paid $6,088 in owed entitlements.

The worker requested assistance from the Fair Work Ombudsman
after not receiving the redundancy payments and two weeks' payment
in lieu of notice they were entitled to.

Project Manager and Accountant Underpaid in Digital Marketing
Company and Removalist Company

The Fair Work Ombudsman also assisted two other full-time
workers in the inner Sydney area to recover outstanding final pay
entitlements: a project manager at a digital marketing business in
Surry Hills, as well as an accountant at a removalist company in
Marrickville.

Following intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman, the project
manager was back-paid a total of $15,470 in unpaid wages and
entitlements, and the accountant was back-paid $13,316.

The underpayments in these cases were due to the accumulation of
a number of unpaid entitlements, including termination
entitlements, annual leave entitlements, outstanding pro rata long
service leave entitlements and unpaid bonuses.